The Recipe

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Sami Tamimi, a chef whose food is a powerful celebration of Palestinian heritage and one of the most influential voices in Middle Eastern cuisine. From growing up in the old city of Jerusalem in the Muslim quarter to building a remarkable career in London and co-creating the Ottolenghi empire, Sami's journey is a testament to the transformative power of following your passion, embracing your roots, and cooking with purpose. After spending two decades as head chef and partner at Ottolenghi, Sami stepped away to focus on his own voice, documenting the vibrant, vegetable-forward cooking of his childhood through his stunning cookbook Bostani, which means garden in Arabic.

Sami prepares his beloved Couscous Fritters with Preserved Lemon Yogurt, a deeply personal dish that takes him straight back to his childhood sitting on the floor with his siblings, spooning up bowls of his mother's simple couscous with tomato and onion. Using caramelised onions for sweetness, vibrant red pepper paste made from sun-dried fermented peppers, sweet carrots, fluffy couscous cooked like a pilaf, and a punchy yogurt dressing with preserved lemon, capers, and fresh mint, this recipe beautifully encapsulates Sami's cooking philosophy of taking humble, traditional Palestinian flavours and making them accessible, colourful, and bursting with bold taste whilst staying rooted in the soul of home cooking.

Throughout the episode, Sami shares his remarkable journey from being kicked out of his mother's kitchen as a young boy to starting his cooking career at 17 washing dishes in a Jerusalem hotel, being promoted to running breakfast service after just three months because he learned so quickly, and why he was a rebellious kid who wanted to be an artist but found his creative outlet through food instead. He discusses moving to London and meeting Yotam Ottolenghi at Baker and Spice where their shared love of cooking, Arabic and Hebrew language, and being two gay guys new to the city created an unbreakable bond, creating the concept for Baker and Spice that introduced Londoners to colourful, vibrant, uncomplicated Middle Eastern food, and why opening the first Ottolenghi restaurant in Notting Hill in 2002 felt like doing the River Cafe but with a Middle Eastern twist.

You can find Sami's full Couscous Fritters recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and be sure to check out his beautiful cookbook Bostani for more inspiring Palestinian recipes that celebrate tradition, memory, and the joy of cooking.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes.

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The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Brin Pirathapan, winner of the 20th series of MasterChef UK in what judges described as the most exceptional victory in the competition's history. A veterinary surgeon who traded the operating theatre for the kitchen, Brin is bringing the bold, vibrant flavours of his Sri Lankan Tamil heritage to a wider audience through his debut cookbook Elevate. From growing up in Chelmsford surrounded by his parents' incredible feasts to discovering his passion for cooking at university and eventually winning over fifteen past MasterChef champions with a standing ovation, Brynn's journey is a testament to the power of following your passion, embracing your heritage, and cooking with creativity and purpose.

Brin prepares his beloved Jaffna Mussels, a stunning fusion dish that perfectly encapsulates who he is as a cook. Taking inspiration from the classic French moules marinière and infusing it with the aromatic spices of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka where his parents are from, this recipe uses black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fragrant curry leaves, roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, fresh turmeric, fenugreek, sweet tomatoes, tangy tamarind, and creamy coconut milk to create a deeply flavoured base that allows the sweetness of the mussels to shine through. Served with toasted sourdough for dipping into the rich, spiced broth, this dish beautifully represents Brin’s cooking philosophy of melting together his Tamil Sri Lankan background with French technique and his British upbringing to create food that is bold, accessible, and full of heart.

Throughout the episode, Brin shares his remarkable journey from watching his parents lay on incredible feasts throughout his childhood to turning his nose up at fish curries as a kid because he had to pick out the bones, discovering his love for cooking at university when he realised the food at home was far better than anything available, and using cooking as a way to decompress after long days as a veterinary surgeon. He discusses why his wife encouraged him to apply for MasterChef after hearing him complain about work one too many times, nearly pulling out before filming because of nerves, why his anatomical knowledge from veterinary surgery gave him a technical edge when filleting fish, and how his parents kept asking if he was still going to do veterinary work until he reached the MasterChef final.

You can find more delicious recipes on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and be sure to check out his debut cookbook Elevate for more vibrant, accessible dishes that celebrate bold flavours and creative fusion cooking.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes.

Follow The Recipe with Theo Randall: /therecipe.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/therecipe.podcast/)

Follow Filippo Berio: /filippoberio_uk (https://www.instagram.com/filippoberio_uk/)

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The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Carlo Scotto, a chef whose cooking is driven by memory, emotion, and fearless creativity. Born and raised near Naples, Carlo began cooking as a teenager after a life-changing encounter with a judge who saw potential in a troubled young man and offered him a path to redemption through food. From his early days washing pots at the legendary Don Salvatore in Naples to mastering his craft in London's most ambitious kitchens including Murano with Angela Hartnett and La Chapelle with the Galvin brothers, Carlo's journey is a testament to the transformative power of hospitality and the enduring influence of Italian tradition. With stints in Paris and experience across Europe, Carlo has forged an extraordinary career whilst staying deeply connected to the flavours and stories of his Neapolitan roots.

Carlo prepares his beloved Farfalle Pasta a La Genovese recipe, a deeply personal tribute to his late grandmother who first taught him to make pasta as a little boy. This rich, comforting dish takes the classic Neapolitan interpretation of Genovese, a slow-cooked onion sauce with origins in Genoa that arrived in Naples through the historic port trade, and elevates it with decadent bone marrow, 36-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and a silky onion puree made with chicken and beef stock, shallot vinegar, and fresh thyme. The handmade farfalle pasta, crafted from a unique dough taught to him by a British chef using pasta flour, semolina, six egg yolks, one whole egg, milk, and oil for elasticity, is pinched perfectly to hold the sauce whilst achieving that elusive al dente bite. This recipe beautifully encapsulates Carlo's cooking philosophy of honouring tradition whilst embracing global influences, creating dishes that are comforting yet refined, rooted in heritage yet unafraid to experiment.

Throughout the episode, Carlo shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Naples surrounded by loud, passionate Sunday lunches filled with family arguments and endless conversations around the table to becoming a quiet, reserved child who found himself in trouble as a troubled teenager following a family tragedy. He opens up about the pivotal moment when a compassionate judge saw beyond his mistakes and gave him a summer job as punishment, leading him to the kitchens of Don Salvatore where he discovered his calling whilst washing pots bigger than himself. Carlo discusses the pride he took in ensuring every plate leaving the pass had no fingerprints, why Angela Hartnett's belief in him when she put him on the meat section as the youngest chef gave him the confidence to push through his mistakes, and how working across Paris and different countries taught him that excellence can come from anywhere.

You can find Carlo's full Farfalle Pasta a La Genovese recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and keep an eye out for his return to London as he continues to build his culinary legacy.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes.

Follow The Recipe with Theo Randall: /therecipe.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/therecipe.podcast/)

Follow Filippo Berio: /filippoberio_uk (https://www.instagram.com/filippoberio_uk/)

Follow Theo Randall: /theo.randall (https://www.instagram.com/theo.randall/)

The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Nargisse Benkabbo, chef, author, and one of the leading voices in modern Moroccan cuisine. From her upbringing in Brussels as the daughter of Moroccan immigrants to becoming executive chef at La Mamounia in the heart of the Marrakesh Medina, Nargisse has spent over a decade bringing a breath of fresh air to the Moroccan table. With her debut cookbook Casablanca and her latest release Madaq, alongside her residency at The Pilgrim in London, Nargisse is championing bold, accessible Moroccan flavours whilst honouring the traditions and stories behind every dish.

Nargis prepares her beloved Tayb’ o’Hari Chickpea, Tuna and Egg Salad, a vibrant and contemporary twist on the humble Moroccan street food snack that has existed for generations. Using tender chickpeas cooked low and slow until soft and creamy, aromatic spices including cumin, paprika, and harissa, fresh coriander, salty olives, perfectly boiled eggs, and crispy golden potatoes, all brought together with a simple dressing of white wine vinegar and quality olive oil. This dish beautifully encapsulates Nargisse’s cooking philosophy of taking traditional Moroccan favourites and making them portable, approachable, and bursting with bold flavour whilst remaining rooted in the soul of Moroccan home cooking.

Throughout the episode, Nargisse shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a traditional Moroccan household where only her mother cooked to leaving home and discovering her passion for feeding people during weekly dinners with friends in Paris, her transformative time at Leiths School of Food and Wine after leaving the corporate world, and why focusing on Moroccan cuisine became her way of staying connected to her roots. She discusses the misconceptions around Moroccan food in the UK, why hummus and tabbouleh are not Moroccan, her experience as executive chef at La Mamounia navigating traditional French-trained chefs who wanted to over-garnish her simple plating style, and why most Moroccan families use pressure cookers instead of traditional tagine pots for everyday cooking. Nargisse also opens up about her mission to showcase the fresh, vibrant, and vegetable-forward side of Moroccan cuisine that people don't know, why over 60% of the recipes in her new book are vegetarian, her dream restaurant concept Madaq which celebrates Moroccan tapas, and why using fresh spices that actually smell is the key to bold, flavourful cooking.

You can find Nargis's full Tbikha Salad recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and be sure to check out her new cookbook Madaq for more approachable, flavour-packed Moroccan recipes.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes.

Follow The Recipe with Theo Randall: /therecipe.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/therecipe.podcast/)

Follow Filippo Berio: /filippoberio_uk (https://www.instagram.com/filippoberio_uk/)

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The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the legendary Gennaro Contaldo, one of the great champions of authentic Italian cooking and a true ambassador for the flavours of the Amalfi Coast. From his humble beginnings fishing for squid in the Mediterranean and foraging wild mushrooms on the mountains above his village to shaping how Britain fell in love with real Italian food, Gennaro's journey is a testament to the power of passion, heritage, and cooking with heart. As Jamie Oliver's mentor and the man who taught a generation of chefs what Italian food truly means, Gennaro has spent decades proving that simple ingredients cooked with love are all you need to create something extraordinary.

Gennaro prepares his beloved Totani e Patate, squid with potatoes, a traditional celebratory dish from the Amalfi Coast that beautifully captures the essence of mare e monte, sea and mountain. Using fresh squid sealed in olive oil alongside golden waxy potatoes fried until crisp, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh red chilli, and generous handfuls of flat leaf parsley, finished with a splash of white wine and a drizzle of quality olive oil, this humble one pan wonder is comfort food at its finest. Simple, accessible, and bursting with flavour, this recipe perfectly encapsulates Gennaro's cooking philosophy of celebrating the incredible ingredients from land and sea whilst staying true to the traditions of his coastal village.

Throughout the episode, Gennaro shares his remarkable journey from being born just 30 metres above the sea in the Amalfi Coast to arriving in London in 1969 as a young Italian alien armed with nothing but a love for real food and a deep frustration at the state of Italian cooking in Britain. He discusses the shock of discovering spaghetti carbonara made with cream and pre-boiled pasta, working in fish and chip shops frying in whale oil, the importance of foraging wild herbs and mushrooms on the mountains of his childhood, and why catching squid at night with a hand line taught him patience and respect for ingredients. Gennaro also opens up about meeting Antonio Carluccio and transforming the Neal Street Restaurant into a beacon of authentic Italian cuisine, discovering a young Jamie Oliver who would turn up at three in the morning desperate to learn how to make proper pasta, and why teaching the next generation to cook with soul and simplicity remains his greatest passion. From his mission to preserve regional Italian recipes in his new book Gennaro's Hidden Italy to relaunching Jamie's Italian restaurants this April, Gennaro's love for Italian food and his absolute refusal to compromise on authenticity shines through every word.

You can find Gennaro's full Totani e Patate recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and be sure to check out his new book Gennaro's Hidden Italy for more authentic regional Italian recipes that celebrate the stories and traditions behind every dish.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes.

Follow The Recipe with Theo Randall: /therecipe.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/therecipe.podcast/)

Follow Filippo Berio: /filippoberio_uk (https://www.instagram.com/filippoberio_uk/)

Follow Theo Randall: /theo.randall (https://www.instagram.com/theo.randall/)

The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.